The Argentina national team is in the final stretch of preparation for the Round of 16 match of the 2026 World Cup, where they will face Egypt this Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Atlanta. On the eve of the match, Leandro Paredes broke his silence and left a message that resonates in the locker room: no one should relax.
The midfielder, who came on in the second half of the last match, was blunt in analyzing the team’s current form. «Cape Verde taught us that no match will be easy. We knew it, we were very clear about it, and Egypt will surely be a very difficult team,» Paredes said in statements that did not go unnoticed.
The narrow victory in the Round of 32 left more than a scare, but also a lesson that Lionel Scaloni’s squad seems to have taken to heart. «We want to give our best version. You can’t always play well, you can’t always show the image we want. Sometimes you have to suffer, but the important thing was to win, and winning like that is also important,» added the former Boca player.
Asked about the surprising eliminations of Brazil at the hands of Norway and Germany against Paraguay, Paredes was not surprised. «I am not surprised by the World Cup results because we are aware that all teams are very competitive and anyone can beat anyone. Obviously, it’s shocking to see Brazil out, but there is no easy match,» he explained, making it clear that the team is not overconfident.
With his good performance against Cape Verde, the midfielder is shaping up as a candidate to start against Egypt. However, he avoided taking anything for granted. «I always see myself in the lineup. I try, training day by day, to give my best to always see myself in. Then, obviously, we are 26 players and the coach has to choose 11. It’s about being available and waiting,» he concluded.
Argentina seeks its place in the quarterfinals of a World Cup that has already seen several big teams eliminated. Paredes’ warning is clear: there is no room for error.
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Para mí estos pibes de Paredes son unos tibios de mierda. ¿Ningún partido será fácil? Egipto es un equipo de cuarta, como Cabo Verde, y Argentina debería ganarles 5-0 sin despeinarse. Con esa mentalidad de cagones no llegamos ni a cuartos. ¡Basta de discursos de terror, vamos Argentina carajo!
Para mí, Paredes tiene razón, pero basta de ser blanditos. Estos egipcios vienen a pegar, no a jugar. Yo creo que hay que romperles el culo desde el primer minuto, carajo. Si no, después lloramos. Vamos Argentina, a pasar por encima de todos. Firmado: ElGauchoInmortal